Cotting School President David Manzo to Retire in September, COO Bridget Irish Becomes Cotting’S 7Th President

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cotting School President David Manzo to Retire in September, COO Bridget Irish Becomes Cotting’S 7Th President Cotting School President David Manzo to retire in September, COO Bridget Irish becomes Cotting’s 7th President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LEXINGTON, Mass., January 15, 2021—Cotting SChool, whose mission is to enable students with speCial needs to achieve their highest learning potential and level of independenCe, announCed today that President and ExeCutive DireCtor David Manzo will retire in September 2021 after serving 17 years as the sChool’s sixth President. Mr. Manzo will be suCCeeded by Bridget Irish, who has served sinCe 2006 as Cotting’s Chief Operating OffiCer and ViCe President. Over his tenure as President of Cotting SChool, Mr. Manzo has led improvements in CurriCulum, therapeutiC and eduCational serviCes and most notably, teChnology advanCements, to assist students, faculty and staff, in working to break down barriers to learning for students with disabilities. He has expanded the sChool Campus from 14 acres to 21 and led a $10 million Capital Campaign to build a new 25,000 square foot Campus Center that will open in August. “Nearly 17 years ago I was honored and humbled when Cotting SChool’s Board of Trustees named me only their sixth President sinCe the sChool’s founding in 1893,’’ Mr. Manzo said. “Although my mom, Elaine Manzo, who had a disability, died 30 years ago, our students at Cotting SChool remind me daily of the lessons she taught me: never underestimate a person with a disability, look for the strength in people and not their weakness, treat everyone with respeCt and dignity, always inCrease opportunities for independenCe, and Create a warm and welComing environment. In my tenure at Cotting SChool, I hope that I have succeeded in meeting her goals.” MiChael Durkin, Chair of the sChool’s board of trustees, “David leaves a powerful legacy for every family and every student involved with the SChool. His 17 years at Cotting have Cultivated an inClusive Community that Creates opportunities for every person who Comes our way to beCome their best, and Dave will leave Cotting on a path to Continued future suCCess.” “Our board is delighted that Bridget Irish will beCome our new president,’’ Mr. Durkin added. “Over the past 15 years as our Chief Operating OffiCer, Bridget has demonstrated management prowess, helped build a top-notch faculty and staff, and demonstrated a passion for working with our students and their families to help them achieve all they Can. This will be a seamless transition that allows Cotting to keep building on a strong foundation.’’ Raymond L. Killian, Cotting SChool Trustee Emeritus, who has worked with Ms. Irish extensively in the past, had this to say about the transition: “Cotting has made, yet again, another exCellent deCision in Choosing Bridget Irish to suCCeed Dave Manzo as its leader. Bridget is one of the most Competent exeCutives I have ever had the good fortune to work with while Chairman and CEO at Investment TeChnology Group. Cotting is in good hands as it Continues to serve the needs of our children.” Ms. Irish said, “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve as Cotting’s president, only the seventh head of sChool in 128 years, whiCh is a testament to the tradition of dediCation and Continuity of leadership at our sChool. I look forward to Continuing to strengthen Cotting SChool’s partnerships with parents, distriCts, donors, and long-standing friends, all of whom Contribute their Considerable time and talents to our students. Together, we are dediCated to the academiC, therapeutiC, teChnologiCal, and soCial exCellenCe that define Cotting SChool.” Elizabeth Dello Russo BeCker, ExeCutive DireCtor of the Massachusetts AssoCiation of Approved SChools (MAAPS), the statewide assoCiation of sChools serving students with speCial needs, said, "Both at Cotting SChool and as MAAPS President and its longest-serving board member for 37 years, Dave Manzo has been an inspiring Champion and positive Change-maker for students with speCial needs across our state and nation. An optimist, a strategist, an extrovert, a friend, Dave is many things to so many of us. We will miss him, but will never forget the impact he has made while serving our students.’’ Close Collaboration with government leaders, both at Cotting and through MAAPS, has been a hallmark of Mr. Manzo’s tenure at the sChool, inCluding hosting “Invite your Legislator to SChool Days” typiCally attended by more than 40 Massachusetts and New Hampshire legislators and legislative aides to eduCate them about Cotting’s work, and speCial eduCation in general, and to advoCate for funding for students with disabilities. Mr. Manzo has served on the boards of many sChools and non-profit organizations in Massachusetts. SinCe 1980, he has also served as a leCturer in the PULSE Program at Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts and SCienCes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in theology, summa Cum laude, from Boston College, where he was named SCholar of the College, and a master’s in eduCation with a ConCentration in Administration, Planning and SoCial PoliCy from Harvard University. Prior to working at Cotting, Ms. Irish spent a signifiCant part of her Career working in the finanCial serviCes industry. A volunteer opportunity at Cotting in 2005 led to her growing interest and passion for the students Cotting serves and a desire to put her management and finanCe expertise to work for the sChool was actualized in 2006. She serves in volunteer roles with the New England AssoCiation of SChools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Massachusetts AssoCiation of Approved Private SpeCial EduCation SChools (MAAPS). Ms. Irish, who grew up in Vermont, earned her bachelor’s degree in eConomiCs from Tufts University and master’s in business administration, magna Cum laude, from Babson College. ABOUT COTTING SCHOOL Founded in 1893, Cotting’s mission is to enable students with speCial needs to achieve their highest learning potential and level of independenCe. Today Cotting’s day sChool serves 110 students ages 3-22 from 70 Cities and towns from Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Cotting’s Continuum of serviCes also inCludes HOPEhouse, a transitional boarding sChool program for students ages 17-22 offering opportunities for students to practiCe independent living skills in a supportive group setting, and Cotting Consulting, an outreach program partnering with publiC sChool distriCts to provide an array of integrated serviCes for students with a broad speCtrum of learning and CommuniCation disabilities and learning Challenges. Cotting SChool is loCated at 453 ConCord Avenue, Lexington, Mass. 02421. For additional information, Call 781-862-7323, visit http://www.Cotting.org.org, follow our soCial media platforms inCluding Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @CottingSChool, or email [email protected]. .
Recommended publications
  • Hopehouse at Cotting School
    HOPEHOUSE AT COTTING SCHOOL 453 Concord Avenue TEL #: (781) 862-7323 Lexington, MA 02421 FAX#: (781) 861-1179 Contact: Elizabeth Fay Russell, Director of Admissions EMAIL: [email protected] Website: www.cotting.org Populations Served Programs and Services Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, HOPEhouse at Cotting School offers a five day residential Developmentally Disabled, Learning Disabled, Medically independent living, academic learning and vocational Fragile, Multiple Disabilities, Neurological Disorder, program for young adults ages 17-22. This transitional Traumatic Brain Injury program focuses on functional and applied skills, career School Profile preparation, community inclusion, and social and recreational opportunities. Each student’s level of Enrollment: M/F independence will be strengthened by intensive Age Range Served: 17-22 integration in the community. Age at Admission: 17-20 Program: Monday-Friday Residential Staff/Pupil Ratio: 1:4 Location and Facilities # of Months Open: 10 The program will operate in a fully-accessible, modern # of Days Open: 180 school year program building in the lovely residential community of Current Enrollment: new program, accepting referrals Lexington, Massachusetts, adjacent to Cotting School’s 14-acre campus. Students will enjoy private bedrooms Admissions Procedure with bathrooms or semi-private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, a large open kitchen, laundry facilities and Rolling admissions throughout the year as spaces are two large common areas. In addition, students may avail available. Contact the Director of Admissions themselves of the walking path and recreation field on campus. Approval/Licensing/Accreditation Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary History and Philosophy Education. When Cotting Day School was Founded in 1893, the original focus was to serve children with physical Affiliations/Membership disabilities.
    [Show full text]
  • Cotting School Annual Report Inspire Inspire T Cotting School, We Measure Success by the “Small Miracles” That Occur Every Day
    cotting school annual report inspire inspire t Cotting School, we measure success by the “small miracles” that occur every day. These smallIntroduction miracles require a tremendous amount of time and persistence on the part of our students. But over time, collectively, they lead to Aincreased independence and inspire our entire community. Sparked by those same miracles, our students, faculty, staff, trustees, parents, and friends give of themselves every day. We hope you, too, are inspired by the stories in our annual report of those who are new and those who have made long-term commitments to Cotting School. 1 inspire To the Cotting School Community t is an understatement to say that it has been an inspiring Iyear. Cotting School has installed a new artificial turf playing field and renovated the existing playground, thus increasing access to the world of outdoor sports to all our students. In late March, after a three-year process, we received the final permits necessary from the Town of Lexington and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Leadership gifts from the Connelly and Killian families, and inspirational gifts from our alumni and friends, made our field a reality. On the first day of school in September, the entire student body played the inaugural soccer game on the new turf. The In October we hosted an evaluation team from the New England excitement was palpable! Outdoor gym classes, after-school Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Researched and soccer and flag football, and a Saturday morning soccer league written during the previous academic year by all faculty members have all been greeted enthusiastically by our students, many in collaboration, the self-study involved a rigorous examination of of whom have not previously played outdoor sports.
    [Show full text]
  • Cotting School Breaks Ground on Gym Addition
    CottingCotting ConnectionConnection A tradition of innovation and excellence since 1893. WINTER 2020 A look at Cotting’s new Campus Center which is slated to open next year. Cotting School Breaks Ground on Gym Addition Unlike many schools nationwide, Cotting student learning never skipped a beat during COVID. Starting with fully remote What’s Inside learning from mid-March through June, we carefully added in-school time so that students are now on campus four days Cotting Breaks Ground .................................1-2 a week. PPE notwithstanding, they love being with their Boston College PULSE Program peers and staff. At our school where students hate snow days, at Cotting School ................................................2 nothing beats being at Cotting! Cotting Partnerships ..........................................2 Simultaneously, we have moved ahead with our new addition, Staff Profiles ......................................................... 3 the first brick and mortar campaign in 30 years. The Campaign will enhance academic programs and the arts; build a full- size gym, two candlepin bowling lanes, and a fully accessible climbing wall; and make substantial renovations to occupational and physical therapy spaces as well as our medical center. Cotting School 781-862-7323 Virtual Admissions 453 Concord Avenue [email protected] Contact Director of Admission Elizabeth Russell Lexington, MA 02421 cotting.org with admissions inquiries at [email protected] Cotting Breaks Ground (continued) The groundbreaking ceremony on October 14 was a first opportunity to be together, albeit socially distanced and masked, for the first time since COVID. By the end of December, we will have a fully enclosed structure. Many students, alumni, staff, trustees, and donors to the project have signed the steel beam which will top off the gym.
    [Show full text]
  • Site Placement Level Site City Site State A.LL Therapy Connection
    Site Placement Level Site City Site State A.LL Therapy Connection - OT Level 2 Maitland FL A.O.T.A., Inc. - OT Level 2 Bethesda MD Alfred I. duPont Institute - OT Level 2 Wilmington DE All Children's Hospital - St. Petersburg - OT Level 2 St. Petersburg FL Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago - OT Level 2 Chicago IL (former Children's Memorial Hospital) Ann Arbor Public Schools - OT Level 2 Ann Arbor MI Bacharach Institute for Rehab - OT Level 2 Pomona NJ Back On Track PT - OT Levels 1 and 2 Brookline MA Barnes Jewish Hospital - OT Level 2 St. Louis MO Bay Cove Early Intervention Program - OT Levels 1 and 2 Dorchester MA Bedford VA Medical Ctr. - OT Level 2 Bedford MA Berkeley Unified School District - OT Level 2 Berkeley CA Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Ctr. (BIDMC) Boston- OT Levels 1 and 2 Boston MA Beth Israel Medical Center NY - Phys Dis - OT Level 2 New York NY Bloomington Hospital - OT Level 2 Bloomington IN Blythedale Children's Hospital - OT Level 2 Valhalla NY Boston Ability Ctr. - OT Levels 1 and 2 Wellesley Hills MA Boston College Campus School - OT Levels 1 and 2 Chestnut Hill MA Boston Medical Ctr. - OT Levels 1 and 2 Boston MA Boston Public Schools Level 2 - OT Levels 1 and 2 Mattapan MA Braintree Rehab Hospital - OT Levels 1 and 2 Braintree MA Briarwood Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center - OT Level 2 Needham MA Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital - OT Levels 1 and 2 Boston MA Brigham and Women's Hospital - OT Levels 1 and 2 Boston MA Brookline Public Schools - Lincoln School - OT Levels 1 and 2 Brookline MA Butler Hospital - OT Level 2 Providence RI California Children Services - Los Angeles County - OT Level 2 El Monte CA California Pacific Medical Ctr.
    [Show full text]
  • Student Handbook
    Student Handbook 2021 – 2022 Cotting School 453 Concord Avenue Lexington, MA 02421 (781) 862-7323 www.cotting.org updated 7/20/21 TABLE OF CONTENTS General---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 ABOUT THE SCHOOL STUDENTS' THOUGHTS Academics-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 PROGRAM SCHEDULE CURRICULUM COMMUNITY TRIPS CAPSTONE SENIOR STATUS & GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS DUAL ENROLLMENT IEPs GRADES HOMEWORK Activities: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 SENIOR GIFT SCHOOL RING SENIOR PICTURES YEARBOOK FIELD TRIPS AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ATHLETICS SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Policies: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 ABSENCES LONG-TERM ABSENCES GENERAL CONDUCT HARASSMENT/BULLYING/HAZING CODE OF CONDUCT NON-DISCRIMINATION TRANSPORTATION FIRE DRILLS FUNDRAISING MEDICAL STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (TECHNOLOGY) PERSONAL EQUIPMENT AGREEMENT (TECHNOLOGY) Your Role/FORMS: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------33 SHARING CONCERNS STUDENT BULLYING REPORT FORM 2 Cotting School 453 Concord Avenue • Lexington, MA 02421 • 781-862-7323 ABOUT THE SCHOOL In 1893, Dr. Edward H. Bradford and Dr. Augustus Thorndike started the first free day
    [Show full text]
  • 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973
    1885 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972cotting 1973 1974 1980 1986 school 1988 1990 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893 1894 1904 1912 1922 1926 1948 1960 1972 1973 1974 1980 1986annual 1988 1990 report 2005 2008 1887 1889 1893
    [Show full text]
  • COTTING SCHOOL an Annual Report of Cotting Stories
    COTTING SCHOOL An Annual Report of Cotting Stories 2018 Annual Report | 1 WHAT MAKES COTTING Anna, Capstone Student THE BEST CHOICE? Given all the options in special education, what makes Cotting School the best choice for a child? For every person considering that question, the answer is different. The pages that follow illustrate Cotting School STORIES told from the perspectives of teachers, students, parents, and staff, illustrating the strengths of our program and insights that only the people from Cotting School can provide. You can read more Cotting stories by following us! We use Social Media to share information, pictures and stories that will help you learn more about Cotting School! You’ll find links to our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds at the bottom of our website, cotting.org. Search our hashtags, such as #CottingSchool2018 or #CottingStories and join in on the fun by sharing your thoughts with us using #MyCottingStory. #MyCottingStory Use this visual to share your Cotting Story with us. Download it at www.cotting.org/my-story. If you’re on social media we encourage you to use the hashtag #MyCottingStory and tag us by using: @CottingSchool INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE SINCE 1893 For 125 years we have been specializing in breaking down barriers to education by providing a highly individualized special education curriculum as well as coordinated and integrated therapies and medical services to support our students as they achieve their goals. Meet our people! Our students, parents, and staff have STORIES to share. You’ll learn about our unique school community in the pages that follow.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Success November 5, 2016 | 8:00 Am - 4:00 Pm
    #MTP2016 MAKING THINGS POSSIBLE: Social Success November 5, 2016 | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Welcome to the fourth annual Making Things Possible Conference at Cotting School made possible by the generosity of the Burr Family. This year’s conference focuses on the many ways we, as parents and professionals working with children in special education settings or at home, work to practice and develop social skills to support student success and learning in a variety of settings. We have brought together expert speakers and workshop leaders to share evidence-based, practical strategies in hands-on sessions and discussions throughout the day. In addition, our vendor and resource exhibit areas will provide the opportunity for you to explore a variety of programs, products and services. Our hope for the conference is that it Cotting School becomes a forum to share ideas, inspire each other, and connect through conversation. 453 Concord Avenue Detailed workshop descriptions are included in this program. We are offering 4 Lexington, MA workshop tracks and many of the workshops are offered more than once. Please [email protected] make your selections carefully and feel free to contact us with any questions at www.cotting.org [email protected]. Conference is Free and Lunch is Included! Making Things Possible: Social Success November 5, 2016 SCHEDULE OF THE DAY OF THE SCHEDULE Keynote Talk Hear About Our Social Success; How Cotting Made It Possible A trio of super social Upper School students at Cotting School, will be kicking off the “Making Things Possible: Social Success” Conference for us as our keynote presentation this year! Elizabeth, Tessa, and Dan will talk about how practicing social skills with peers and professional helpers, has helped them grow socially.
    [Show full text]
  • PARENT HANDBOOK Cotting School
    PARENT HANDBOOK Cotting School Revised November 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS WHERE WE CAME FROM: A BRIEF HISTORY OF COTTING SCHOOL ................................... 6 WHO WE ARE: MISSION AND VISION, PURPOSE, AND PHILOSOPHY ................................. 7 COTTING SCHOOL MISSION AND VISION ............................................................................................... 7 POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION .......................................................................................................... 7 PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY ...................................................................................................................... 7 IN THE BEGINNING: PAPERWORK AND WHY WE NEED IT EACH YEAR ...................................... 8 HOW TO REACH US ........................................................................................................................................ 9 ABSENCES, LATE ARRIVALS, AND EARLY DISMISSALS ...................................................................... 9 LONG TERM ABSENCES .............................................................................................................................. 10 SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 10 PUTTING OUR HEADS TOGETHER: PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION .................... 10 EXPECTATIONS ............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cotting-Annual-Report2020-Preview
    COTTING FORWARD COTTING SCHOOL: ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD... EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC 2 | COTTING SCHOOL 2020 will be remembered as an unforgettable time in history, a global pandemic, racial reckoning, economic uncertainty, and unanticipated challenges for schools. We are grateful to our extraordinary faculty, staff, and community members, who have persevered during a public health emergency this year. Our success story is the transcendent and incredible spirit of the Cotting community! We have become experts in implementing our highly specialized school program and support services during a global pandemic. We are proud of the unrelenting spirit and determination of the entire Cotting community. This year we learned to meet goals in new and different ways. Classrooms were remote for a brief period of time before our safe, supported return to school. Traditions and celebrations took new forms. A parade of Cotting vans and vehicles took to the roads of Massachusetts for the 2020 graduation celebration. The car parade drove to the homes of each member of the class of 2020 for a unique outdoor celebration with parents, staff, and neighbors cheering. Our Admissions team offered virtual tours and opened up a new online platform of Cotting Conversations and the Advancement Department held its first ever Virtual Trivia Night Fundraiser. Many long-standing traditions that have served us well were put on hold or adapted in ways that were more fitting and creative than we could have imagined. Cotting is a leader in special education. We provide options that break down barriers to learning for students between the ages of 3 and 22.
    [Show full text]
  • Founded in 1893, Cotting School Is America's First
    Cotting School 2005 Annual Report ounded in 1893, Cotting School is America’s fi rst Accreditations and Approvals day school for children with a broad spectrum of Cotting School is a chapter- approved private day school. The School’s programs are fully approved by the Massachusetts State Flearning and communication disabilities, physical Department of Education for service to children ages to with challenges, and complex medical conditions. special educational needs. To meet the diverse needs of a multifaceted population Affiliations requires programming that focuses on the whole child. Boston University’s Sargent College of Health Cotting does more than simply create interventions and Rehabilitation Sciences COTTING SCHOOL to target a student’s diagnosis or disorder. It designs a 453 Concord Avenue Children’s Hospital New England College of Optometry continuum of educational, therapeutic, and support Lexington MA 02421 Tufts University School of Dental Medicine services to ensure that the students and their families (781) 862-7323 Northeastern University’s Bouve College of Health Sciences become part of a “comprehensive classroom” within an www.cotting.org Emerson College Clinical Training Program extended learning community. Design: Pat Mullaly, Circle Graphics Memberships Photography: Martha Stewart Massachusetts Association of -Approved Private Schools Cotting’s exceptional care for children can be described National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children by two seemingly opposite adjectives: tough and tender. There is tenaciousness in our students and our staff. There is a fi ghting spirit at Cotting, a “we can do it” toughness that helps students overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. At the same time, there is tenderness in our school, a nurturing staff and students who treat each other with exquisite kindness.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections from the Students of Cotting
    Reflections from the Students of Cotting COTTING SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT My Kingdom - Song by Julie B. I walked into this world full of miracles A little scared, not knowing where to go But you welcomed me into your kingdom Willing to help me to grow. And once the gate closed behind me I knew I could never look back ‘Cuz now I’m home. Yes, now I’m home Oh, I’m home. I’m finally home! Faces follow me as I walk to the kingdom I see the people of the world there at the door. My sisters and my brothers So many people who care. And once the gate closed behind me I was free falling with love I dare to be ME. I dare to be ME. I dare to be ME.... I’m finally ME! To hear Julie’s song about Cotting School, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_971ouErw In Their Own Words Each day Cotting student writers express themselves through different media for academic endeavors. Each voice is powerful and unique. In this, our 2011 Annual Report, the students speak. As you read these pages, let what each student says confirm what we at Cotting already know: we serve exceptional students. Whether their thoughts are delivered via pencils, pens, augmentative communication devices, or a parent’s voice on tape, each student’s contribution focuses our attention on his or her compelling message. The song Julie wrote about starting at Cotting School (opposite page) is the first of many examples. We invite you to turn these pages to gain deeper insights and an appreciation for our students’ many talents.
    [Show full text]